A Scattering Approach to the Dynamical Casimir Effect

We develop a unified scattering approach to dynamical Casimir problems which
can be applied to both accelerating boundaries, as well as dispersive objects
in relative motion. A general (trace) formula is derived for the radiation from
accelerating boundaries. Applications are provided for objects with different
shapes in various dimensions, and undergoing rotational or linear motion.
Within this framework, photon generation is discussed in the context of a
modulated optical mirror. For dispersive objects, we find general results
solely in terms of the scattering matrix. Specifically, we discuss the vacuum
friction on a rotating object, and the friction on an atom moving parallel to a
surface.